In the Daily Mail today was an article reporting that an ex-soldier was turned down by Gloucestershire Police Force (along with 108 other white male applicants) in favour of minority groups such as women and coloured people. The force said that it was "engaging in positive action to increase the numbers of female and non-white officers". The Asst. Chief Const. said that "this positive action will undoubtadly mean disappointment for others but it the only way of ensuring we (Glouc Police) maintain a diverse workforce".

I think that as the majority of police forces are understregth than it shouldn't matter what the colour of someone's skin is, if they are qualified then let them do the job. Political Correctness gone mad.

I Don't know the figures but because of this "positive" discrimination, the police are losing alot of recruits in the probation phase. They weren't the most suitable candidates and don't become worthwhile PCs. Cutting of one's nose to spite one's face?

Discrimination is Discrimination. Sue them. And every ratepayer should write to the Police Authority, copied to the Chief Constable calling for those small minded racists who think minorities are inferior and need patronising to be disciplined and sacked.

. The force said that it was "engaging in positive action to increase the numbers of female and non-white officers". The Asst. Chief Const. said that "this positive action will undoubtadly mean disappointment for others but it the only way of ensuring we (Glouc Police) maintain a diverse workforce".

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Surely if this is what was said, then it is an admitance of Racial (and sexual) Discrimination, and as such is in breach of employment laws. If that is the case, can the ex-soldier take the Police to court? Is it worth the effort?

You can't blame the Police Force for Government imposed ideology. They are constantly battered by the press, media, the judiciary and the general public alike, for not having enough minorities on the job and thereby for not being truly representative of the communities they serve. I agree, not all minorities harbour a desire to join the police, favouring better and higher paid employment as medical and IT professionals,etc, but it would appear that the Police cannot win. As the upholders of law and order, they must be seen to be acting in favour of all parts of the community. Strangly enough, that means employing a contradictory practice of favouring some groups over others, whether they are up to the job or not in some cases.

Now some may or may not agree with this, but you voted these people and their multi cultural ideals in................now you have to live with them.

That's democracy for you folks. Every bugger gets what no bugger wants.

Happens to females too. Met a girl the other week who had been turned down for the Met on grounds that she was not from an ethnic minority. They had helpfull advice for her though "say you are a lesbian" and we will take you. She had declined.

i remember an article some time ago where the journalist sent in two identical job applications for the same job - except one said he was white, the other said he was a minority. the minority application was binned, the white one got him an interview.

it seems the police are exploiting some loophole here. how about if a white applicant put on his application that he was afro-caribbean or something like that? this would ensure it was not weeded out at the preliminary phase and might get you an interview.

of course you would end up explaining why you were the token white person being interviewed amongst dozens of minorities. and they could probably use that you lied on your application form to deny you the job.

but might be interesting to take a camera and record the look on their face when you walk into the interview and i bet some scuzzy tabloid would pay for the story afterwards.

The police are not sueable in this situation as positive discrimination is perfectly legal!

However, employers and others can take positive action to prevent discrimination, or to overcome past discrimination. Where over the previous twelve months no-one from a particular racial group, or only very few persons from that racial group, have been doing a certain type of work then it is lawful to offer training only for people from that racial group or to encourage people from that racial group to apply.

There are some particular circumstances where racial discrimination will not be unlawful.

Positive action by employers is one example; another is where it can be shown that discrimininating on racial grounds in employment is a genuine occupational requirement, or that a person being of a particular racial group is a genuine occupational qualification for a job.

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Try telling them you are an African and if they ask about the colour then tell them you are from S.A.

Once again this is a 'quota' issue. The best person for the job is denied to fill a quota. I remember a couple of years ago Dyfed Powys Police were slated by the independant police board for not having enough ethnic minorities in their ranks. Fekk me, they only had about 1500 officers all told. Black and Asian men and women living in West Wales are about as common as hens teeth, but that fact didn't matter.